Pleating device



NOVQIG, 1948. W- HOUSER 2,454,176

y PLE-ATING DEVICE I Filed sept. 12, 1944 1 /ff m( Patented Nov. 16, 1948 PATENT ori-1er 2,454,179 PLEATING DEVICE Waiter i? there Saa Martes iaif' application september 1a, 1944, serial no. 553,68?

were (Ciral-i.)

This invention relates to a device .for facilitating the arrangement of pleats in fabrics, and the holding of fabrics in a pleated condition while they are beine ironed or pressed.

An Object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and economical construction that can be readily applied to a conventional ironing board, and which will enable the fabric to" be pleated to be positioned andv arranged thereun` der to secure the 'desired pleats and thereafter rrnly pressed and clamped in position on the ironing board so that the fabric will not be disturbed during the ironing or pressing operation.

Another 'object of the invention is to provide a pleating device which is so arranged that it may accommodate itself to uneven or slightly conceived ironing boards.

A further object ofthe invention Ais to provide a pleating device wherein there is an engaging bar adapted to engage the ,fabric .to `be pleated and which has associated therewith a flexible toothed ,clamping member for clamping the fabric t rmly against the ironing .board after the pleats have been arranged, the Clamping member and engaging bar lbeing so connectedtogether that relative movement therebetween may take place during the clamping operation.

With the foregoing 4and 4other' objects in View, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is `had to the aoeomoarivirie jd rawiriai for ari illustrative embodirrlerit of the invention, Whereir Figure ,1 is a eartial view in .perspective of an ironing board illustrating the pleating device, embodying the present invention as having been applied thereto and illustrating it in applied position overa section of fabric in which the pleats have been arrangedi A' Fig/2 is a partial view in vertical section through the clamping apparatus utilized for mounting the device von an ironing board;V

Fig. Sis" a sectional v'ieWtaken substantially upon the line 3`3 upon Fig. l in the direction indicated, illustrating in full lines the pleating device in clamping position, and in dotted lines the manner in which the vpleating device 'may be elevated therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a partial view in vertical section illustrating the positions assumed .by the parts prior to clamping the fabric in its pleated condition; k lig. 5v is a'vertical section taken substantially upioi the line sliuponr'ig. 13",* jajnd '1F s is apartiai view insectoniiliustrating the detail Ao 'f c orrstrictin.f

'iteferiiale to""'tii" accennati/ine statines wherein similar reference characters designate similar parte throughout, the improved Floating device comprises a, suitable base made up of two .irieiribers il! and Il that are teieseorieally arranged- The member l.' is preferably hooked at l2 Se ae to be reeeivable over one @dee 0i ari ironing board AI. {Ifnev other member I l) may be .Similarly hooked arid equipped with a Suitable thumb s crevvvl@ for clamping itto the ironing board. On themenber ID of the base therefifs secured av suitable journal i4 within which is rotatable'a rocksh'aft lhaving at its outer ends parallelarrns H'and t7. These arr'ns arespaoe'ld from eachother adistance approximately e'q'iial to the" width of the' ironing board; The forward endsfof the arms' extendinwardly toward 4each other and are secured to leaf springs l'and" |9, the en'dsof which areslidably receivable inrece'sses 'inthe' vtop' of 'a 'clamping bar V2 |1." "I'l`1e clamping bal 1S prefelabl'y''rmed `f plastid 'di' similar material that possesses some degree 'of fl`e`iiibi`lity. 'A limited degree of ilexibility inthe clamping bar 'is desirable inasmuch as" ironing boards frequently have `some transverse warp-- age or are slightly concave on 'their 'upper 'sul'- face. If the clampingv bar 20 is slightly flexible 'it' may confjorrrjiA tothe shape" of the upper surface of the ironing board when pressure is applied ihelel I "rheoiampine bar 20 has a Series of teeth 12| preferablyformedintegral therewith and ex tendisgdownwarmy from its underside; This rdw of' teeth is arranged longitudinally 9; the Clamping bar at approximately its center as to extend transversely across the ironing board'. eneath the `clamping barl 2li 'there is y'.iispc'ised Vengaging bar' 22 which has 1.a longitudinally eirteiidiiife Slot 23 formed therein adapted to have the" teeth 2| extendedtherethough. This ngaging bar 22 mavbe formed of wood or any vother suitable material.` '29 is afsectionfo'f sponge rubb'erl orlike m'aterialtliat is readilyy compressible. 'Il'iisym'at'erial is larranged in 'strips' between the clamping bar and the engaging bar v'orropposit'e sides of the teeth 2l and is cemented "o rf'therwise secured tothese bars. In' thi'sma'nner, the two bars` 2!) and 22 are permanently'associat'ed together but relative movement'therebetween' is permissible' by compressing the strips 24; fc'oml safer-rigs.' e and 4. Adjacent thefcenter ofthe journal or knuckle Hl there 'is a `slot 2T o-'n o'ne s'ideof winch'ratchet teeth 21a are arranged. n manall'yoperable lever 28 is rigid with therock; shaft l5 arid'exte'nd's through this slot. This lever presents an 'edge `29 engageablewith any ofthe ratchet to lock' the' rocksh'aft inuit position wherein it holds the clamping Lbars"inlenfl in ntyitntirevorr; jas mestiere@ in' rig. 3.

The length of the slot 2l is such thatthe rockshai't may be swung through an arc of little less than 180 so that the clamping bar and the engaging bar may be lifted from the full line position shown in Fig. 3 through the dotted line position illustrated in this figure, and be positioned on the opposite side of the journal H1 from the position illustrated to completely expose the work on the ironing board.

The operation and advantages of the improved pleating device are as follows: The fabric F that is to be pleated may be positioned on the ironing board and the pleats partially set. The clamping and engaging bar may then be swung over the work and allowed to rest thereon by gravity thus forming a type of lweight that will facilitate the setting of the pleats. inasmuch as the arms IB and il are spaced from each other` approximately the width of the ironing board the fabric F may be grasped on both sides of the engaging bar 22 in setting the pleats. When all of the pleats have been set the handle or lever 28 is swung forwardly and downwardly with considerable effort to cause the compressible strip 24 to be squeezed and compressed and assume a position as illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein the teeth 2l are projected slightly through the slot 23 in the engaging bar and are caused to firmly engage and hold the pleated fabric in engagement with the ironing board. The pleats may then be ironed in the fabric forwardly of the engaging bar and when this is completed the apparatus may be swung clear of the fabric and that portion of the fabric beneath the engaging bar and between the engaging bar and the base may have the pleats ironed therein. During the time that the compressible strips 2li are compressed, it will be understood that the lever 28 may be locked in position by causing its edge 29 to engage one of the teeth 21a. Disengagement is permitted by merely moving the levei` 28 a short distance longitudinally to permit of disengagement.

From the above-described construction it will 1 be appreciated that an improved pleating device is provided -which is of relatively simple, durable, and economical construction, and which may be readily applied to any conventional ironing board. The pleating device will conform or adapt itself to the shape or condition of the top surface of the ironing board and will facilitate the adjustment or formation of the pleats prior to the fabric `being clamped up. Thereafter, the fabric may be firmly held in its pleated condition while the pleats are being pressed therein without danger of the ironing operation working the fabric loose from beneath the clamping bar.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A pleating device comprising a base, means for clamping the base upon an ironing board, an engaging bar engageable with the work placed on the ironing board and a toothed clamping bar movable relatively to the engaging bar toward and away from the work, and means on the base for yieldably forcing the clamping bar toward the ironing board whereby its teeth may loe advanced relatively to the engaging bar.

2. A pleating device comprising a hase, means for clamping the base upon an ironing board, an engaging bar engageable with the `work placed on the ironing board and a toothed clamping bar movable relatively to the engaging bar toward and away from the Work, and means on the base for yieldably forcing the clamping bar toward the ironing board whereby its teeth may be advanced relatively to the engaging bar, said clamping bar being fbendable.

3. A pleating device comprising an engaging bar engageable with the work and having a slot therethrough, a clamping bar having teeth adapted to be projected toward the work through the slot, compressible means between the engaging bar and the clamping bar normally holding the clamping bar in a position wherein its teeth are retracted, and means for urging the clampn ing bar toward work placed on an ironing board.

4. A pleating device comprising an engaging bar engageable with the work and having a slot therethrough, a clamping bar having teeth adapted to be projected toward the work through the slot, compressible means between the engaging bar and the clamping bar normally holding the clamping bar in a position wherein its teeth are retracted, and means for mounting said bars upon an ironing board and yieldably forcing the clamping bar toward work placed on the ironing board.

5. A pleating device comprising an engaging bar engageable with the work and having a slot therethrough, a clamping bar having teeth adapted to be projected toward the work through the slot, compressible means between the engaging bar and the clamping bar normally holding the clamping bar in a position wherein its teeth are retracted, and means for mounting said bars upon an ironing board and yieldably forcing the clamping bar toward work placed on the ironing board and locking the clamping bar in clamping position.

6. A pleating device comprising a bar, means for clamping the bar upon an ironing board, a knuckle on the base, a rockshaft rotatable in the knuckle, yieldable arms on the rockshaft, a clamping bar pivotally mounted upon the yieldable arms, teeth on the underside of the clamping bar, an engaging bar having a slot therethrough through which the teeth are extendable toward the work placed on the ironing board, and compressible means between the clamping bar and engaging bar.

'7A A pleating device comprising a bar, means for clamping the bar upon. an ironing board, a knuckle on the base, a rockshaft rotatable in the knuckle, yieldable arms on the rockshaft, a

' clamping bar pivotally mounted upon the yield- REFERENCES CITED rThe following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATESy PATENTS Number Name Date 1,104,507 Howell July 21, 1914 1,501,044 Dwoirin July 15, 1924 1,630,392 Ledbetter May 31,' 1927 1,764,808 Schlesinger June 17, 1930 2,159,667 Marvin May 23, 1939 2,189,228 Schultze Feb. 6, 1940 

